AGM - Agenda and info
Item no. 10 reads as follows

NJ takes the chair

Although it sounds strange I am really disappointed that John Caskie's year as president is over, John is such charismatic ambassador for the Howff Club and all things Scottish. Introducing such a wealth of talent to the Howff over the last 12 months I was always sure that any event which John was associated with would be an enormous success. 
It is with great apprehension that I wear the Howff Presidents Chains but glad to have the encouragement and support of so many of our club members.  John Caskie presided over what was probably one of the busiest years in the history of the Howff which marked the 250th year since the birth of Robert Burns and I'm aware that it is almost impossible to improve on excellence, but after many years of fund raising I hope that this year will focus members on the most enjoyable aspects of the Howff - friendship and camaraderie.
The AGM comes to a close with most thing in order and 14 members retire to a local restaurant for a meal !! 

Times Up!!

30^th April 2009 until 29^th April 2010

A year?       12 Months?

 Call it what you like, for me personally it was one of the happiest and enjoyable times of my life as President of the Burns Howff Club.

Yes here I am at the end of my term and time for a short reflection on what was a remarkable year in office. With 2009 being the year of Homecoming and the 250^th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns it was perhaps busier than normal but equally enjoyable and worthwhile.

I attended over 120 engagements as President whether they were representing the club at various events and commemorations, social gatherings; meetings ect all in the name of promoting the works of Burns and the Howff Club in general.

My travels took me all over the place and included amongst others visits too Langholm, Coldstream, Hawick, Mauchline, Brow Well, Ellisland, Irvine, Largs, Edinburgh and Dumbarton.

Events attended included the Mauchline Holy Fair, Federation conference, re enactment of Burns first visit into England at Coldstream, club outing to Ayrshire, presenting school children in Sanquhar and Castle Douglas with awards, numerous meetings at the Globe Inn, 23 Burns suppers and the many events the club arranged for the Homecoming year.

Any President of our great club regales in presiding over the club functions and what an honour for me to do just that during the Jean Armour night in July, Halloween in October, St Andrew’s in November and the Anniversary Dinner in January.

Over the years I have made many musical friends, to have some of them appear at the club and perform at our functions was a particular pleasure as it was to introduce my great friend and honorary member of the club Davie Shankland to speak in July and Willie McDougall another personal friend to toast the Lasses in January.

I will never forget the invaluable contributions from club members at these functions as well as other invited guests who made them all exceptional nights and ones I will remember for a long long time.

Executive meetings of the club have been eventful if not always harmonious this season and as President I have tried to include all members in decisions and reports as well as spreading the workload at the various club events and functions.

My final three or four tasks as president were on Monday 26^th April to join with some club members to clean the Burns contemporaries plaques at St Michaels Churchyard and the following night attend the closing social of the St Michaels Burns Club in the church hall as their guest singer.

I will preside over the AGM on Thursday 29^th April where it will be a great pleasure to thank Maureen McKerrow and Jane Brown for their support and attention over the past year at the Globe Inn and also to say a special congratulations to Maureen and the  McKerrow family in this the 400^th year since the Globe was founded. Afterward I will pass the chain of office on to Neil Johnston and wish him every success and hope the members offer him the unstinting support they accorded to me over the past year, after that, well! That’s it

Times up!!

Thanks for reading my blogs over the past year.

JOHN M CASKIE

PRESIDNET BURNS HOWFF CLUB

28^TH APRIL 2010

The final Executive Committee meeting of the season took place on 5^th       April and was a relief. The treasurer presented the season’s Balance Sheet which notwithstanding the 2009 Projects showed a healthy surplus. It was agreed to make a recommendation to the AGM for a nominee for junior vice next year. Astonishingly, the Whisky Tasting night on 22^nd April was cancelled due to lack of support.  Friday, 9^th April, out with librarian Gordon Johnston to Solway Offset to collect our copies of the “Big Issue”, the special edition of the Burns Chronicle which is the official record of the Year of Homecoming and the 250^th anniversary. What a superb book. The pictures are excellent and the club is well featured, as are a number of individual members.  This should become a collector’s item in years to come.  Saturday 10^th, the visit from 54 members of Glasgow Haggis Club who arrived at the Globe Inn on schedule in spite of an earlier stop at Ellisland. The reception team worked like a well-oiled spring and groups were ushered to Burns House with minutes to spare before it closed at 5.00pm, before visiting the Mausoleum. Afterwards, the party toured the Globe Inn where knowledgeable Howff members enthralled the visitors before they sat down to tea. A most enjoyable afternoon.  Met up with the president on Tuesday 13^th at the Globe to hand over his “Big Issue” and a chat about his term of office, which I will long remember for several reasons. Variety is what the Howff Club is all about and on Friday 16^th, met up with Bill Welsh, John Lauder and Ian McIntyre to meet 26 secondary school head teachers from Norway, touring the region on an educational visit. Due to the limited time available, there was no chance of a ten-cent tour as the visitors were more interested in  having a drink in the close before being bussed off to a brewery in East Lothian but they appreciated Bill’s short talk in the close on the history of the Globe and the club. Later that night, stuffed 150 envelopes with the papers for the AGM.  Saturday 17^th, duty visit to Dumfries Ladies Burns Club No. 1’s coffee morning. This proved to be quite lively with home-made scones and shortbread before repairing afterwards to the Globe with Ted Murray for a soft drink. Meantime, the first draft of the secretary’s annual report to the AGM was finished but on reviewing this, decided to make major cuts in order to avoid defamation although the president advised me to deliver it as written. We’ll see.

The highlight of the month was the Male Voice Choir’s 60^th annual concert on 23^rd April when a select group of members and spouses joined a large attendance at DG One, thrilled to the magical blend of choir and guest artistes “Caledon”, the three tenors whom some heard at the National Gallery last year during the conference. After a slightly shaky start with “Gods Choir” they warmed up and excelled with some Burns numbers and popular favourites including an impressive “African Trilogy”. In their solo spots, Caledon brought down the house with the Proclaimers “Five Hundred Miles” and a  Harry Lauder medley before finishing with an emotional “A Man’s a Man”, arranged for choir, tenors and audience. Yes, a great night and the president and secretary were fired up to return to the Globe for another soft drink.  This will be the final “blog” of the season and I’d like to record my admiration to John Caskie for the manner in which he discharged his duties. The year was a pleasure and privilege and I look forward to next season with anticipation.

DS

Having been the first person which David Smith our honorary secretary has had to phone in hospital to ask if I would accept the committee recommendation to be put forward as Junior Vice President,  I thought for the past few days that I wasn't going to make it back to Dumfries in time for the AGM next Thursday.  "New president accepts chain of office via mobile phone".   

Volcanic Ash closes all UK airports and cancels all flight through northern European airspace day after day.

I'm due to fly on Friday then suddenly airports start opening  but there are still problems and delays expected, aircraft and crew are in all the wrong places.  Anyway here I am in Palma de Mallorca airport and it isn't nearly as busy as I expected it to be given the problems over the past 6 days.

The departure boards indicate that the flight is expected to depart on time. 3 hrs and I'll be back in Glasgow and in time for the Howff AGM.

There was no let-up in March.  A meeting of the Executive Committee on the 1^st was well chaired by the president and anarchy was avoided. Friday 6^th, met up with the treasurer and visited McQueen the Engraver to look at options for the Globe Inn 400^th anniversary. Liased with Andy MacKay on content for the April Newsletter. Received the “master CD”s of the Anniversary Dinner and listening to the superb recording brought back a night to remember. Later, joined the librarian at the Globe to continue sorting out papers and photographs for the club archives.  Due to an ear infection, had to call-off from the Globe’s St. Patrick’s Night on 17th and missed the line dancing but heard that a fine time had been had by all. Delighted to be invited to attend a Burns Supper at the Bachelor’s Club at Tarbolton on 19^th and joined David Baird and David Miller. What an atmosphere and what talent from all over the country. Met several old friends including Jim Shields and Willie Horne. There’s always a downside and this was the Federation quarterly meeting on the following day but the show must go on. The highlight was the stop at Poosie Nancies on the way home where we met a member of Mauchline Masonic Burns Club who told tales of Burns and Mauchline and the “Mauchline Belles”.  The sub committee formed to look at the club constitution and chaired by Frank Manson, met on the 23^rd and started work on what will be a long-term project but the target date is the AGM in 2011.  Ian Millar of Thornhill was guest speaker at the Winter Lecture on 25^th March and raised some interesting points concerning the supposed trip by Burns and Maria Riddell to the Lead Mine at Wanlockhead and the legend of the carronades seized from the smuggling brig,”Rosamund” in the Solway in 1792 and the alleged attempt to ship them to the French Revolutionaries. Ian is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable Burns scholar but his claims, although fascinating can’t be proved.  An on-going ear infection kept me from the Games Night at Marchmount but it was reported that the pies & peas were up to standard and Bert Hastings’s prowess on the bandit was much admired.  Saturday 27^th was the SSCBA meeting at the Murray Arms, Gatehouse, chaired by president David Baird who kept the lid on outbreaks of distemper amongst some delegates. The highlight was the lunch afterwards. Saturday night was the president’s soiree at Ellisland when unfortunately president John was unable to attend due to ill health but this was an excellent night with first class pies and mushy peas, good company and fantastic entertainment. Mention should be made of the contribution from John Clark whose verses were much enjoyed. Thanks are due to Les and May for their hospitality. Meantime, busy with the papers for the AGM and the Excom meeting on 5^th April. A most interesting meeting of the office bearers was held at the residence of the president on 2^nd April for a discussion on tactics and strategy for the future. John was a generous host and will be sadly missed.

DS